George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland

[DSJ]

I am researching this British whig politician. He was First Lord of the Admiralty on three separate occasions & Governor of India between 1836 & 1842. I know that he died in Hampshire on 1st January, 1849, but I cannot trace his death certificate.

I need to know if he was a Roman Catholic or had any family members who were. I have information to suggest that he may have had descendants who were Catholic priests in Boksburg, South Africa, and named Macgrath or McGrath.

Are you out there, Dot?

Can anyone help me please?

[jno]

I doubt that he was a Catholic - they couldn't even vote until 1829, I don't think.

Here's his page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eden

[jno]

PS you'll note he was unmarried

[mike11111]

From the information available in Wikipedia he became an MP in 1810 before the Emancipation Act so couldn't have been a catholic at that time. He died unmarried so it's unlikely he had any descendants - not legitimate ones anyway.

[DSJ]

Thank you for your comments. I realise that he was unmarried but wonder if these South African based priests might have been descendants of other family members, perhaps his sister. I don't know whether she married.

It seems strange that I cannot find him mentioned on the 1841 Census and his death doesn't seem to have been registered either under Eden or Auckland.

[mike11111]

The probable reason why he is not mentioned in the 1841 census is that at the time he was Governor-General of India and so out of the country.

[craft1948]

Is this him in the Death Registrations?

George Eden 1849 Q1 Greenwich Vol 5 Page 176

[craft1948]

He died at The Grange in Hampshire so I've no idea which registration district that would be.

[craft1948]

This is more likely to be him as Alresford is in Hampshire

George Eden 1849 Q1 Alresford Vol 1 Page 1

[craft1948]

You may find this site helpful.......all the Ist Baron Aucklands 14 children have links below.
http://thepeerage.com/p2889.htm#i28883

[dotty.]

in a case like this I would expect there to be a memorial in the church his family seat was connected to aswell as a monumental inscription in the graveyard both of which would probably give far more info on relationships than a death cert, but probably not mention relatives in south africa!

[dotty.]

i've just read his obituary and the account of his death and his wife travelled to basingstoke to reach the home The Grange where he was visiting and where he died (the home of Lord Ashburton) i found that on a family tree on ancestry. the way the newspaper obituary reads it says his mortal remains were removed to the Admiralty prior to internment, does that mean he was buried in westminster abbey?

[dotty.]

sorry his sister travveled there not his wife

[DSJ]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to help me with this. I now have plenty to go on and will follow the various lines you suggest.

My husband's cousin in South Africa has two very old books which belonged to George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, and these were given to her by a Catholic priest. She thinks there must be a connection somewhere along the line.

We shall see.

[DSJ]

I have just found out that Lord Ashburton's home, The Grange, was in Hertfordshire and not Hampshire. Strange .......